Manager of Emergency Services

United Counseling Service of Bennington County Inc•Bennington, VT

5h•$80,000 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Under the direction of the Director of Emergency Services (ES), the Emergency Services Manager provides day-to-day operational management for UCS mental health and substance use crisis services. This position supports safe, timely, and compliant crisis response across settings, including phone, mobile, community-based, emergency department, and law enforcement-partnered responses. The Emergency Services Manager is responsible for overseeing the coordination of daily programming within ES and Integrated Crisis and Substance Services (ICSS) operations, staff scheduling, workflow oversight, documentation and billing compliance, quality improvement support, and communication with internal departments and community partners. This position ensures that Emergency Services staff follow UCS policies, procedures, and applicable DAIL, TCR, and Vermont Department of Mental Health requirements, including the Mental Health Provider Manual. This position is primarily administrative and operational in nature, with a portion of time dedicated to direct clinical services. Direct services may include crisis assessment, brief intervention, consultation, and support for complex or high-risk presentations. The Emergency Services Manager provides clinical guidance and supervision to Emergency Clinicians, performance feedback, staff development, and collaborates with the Battelle House Manager and other program leaders to support continuity of care and effective service delivery. The Emergency Services Manager assists the Lead Clinician, Battelle House Manager, and Program Manager - Police Liaison and Peer Support with hiring, onboarding and maintaining consistent coverage to support high-quality crisis and ICSS care.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Social work, Psychology, Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, or related field required.
Licensure in Vermont as a Social Worker, Psychologist, Mental Health Counselor, or other qualified Mental Health Professional certification required.
Qualified Mental Health Professional certification must be obtained within 1 year of start date, if not already obtained.
Valid driver’s license and auto insurance.
Proficiency is required in a Windows Operating System to include competency in Microsoft Office programs Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Proficiency is required with day-to-day information entry and retrieval in the Agency’s electronic medical record system, employee electronic expense tracking system, and electronic payroll self-entry system.
Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.
Ability to write speeches, articles, and presentations relative to controversial or complex topics.
Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
Ability to interpret instructions, solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables where only limited standardization may exist.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions with little to no instruction.

Nice To Haves

Three years of experience in related crisis, mental health, substance use, emergency services, or community mental health preferred.
Prior supervisory, lead clinician, program coordination, or team management experience preferred.
Experience with crisis assessment, emergency mental health systems, involuntary treatment processes, documentation standards, and community partner coordination preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide crisis assessment, brief intervention, consultation, triage support, and clinical guidance as needed.
Assist support staff and Emergency Clinicians in triaging crisis calls and determining the appropriate response, including phone support, mobile response, law enforcement coordination, emergency department response, or referral to other services.
Coordinate staff in providing assessment and brief, solution-focused counseling to individuals and families experiencing mental health and/or substance use crises. Services may include individual, family, or group support, as well as critical incident debriefing when appropriate.
Ensure staff coordinate services with other agencies and providers and facilitate appropriate referrals when necessary. May provide specialized assessment or screening services based on professional licensure, training, and scope of practice, such as substance use evaluations or other approved clinical services.
Provide day-to-day management and oversight of Emergency Services operations, including workflow coordination, staff scheduling, shift coverage planning, and communication regarding daily program needs.
Create and maintain monthly work schedules for Emergency Services clinical staff and assists with ensuring adequate coverage across crisis response functions.
Provide clinical and administrative supervision to Emergency Clinicians as assigned. Support staff through regular supervision, consultation, case review, performance feedback, and assistance with documentation and workflow expectations.
Provide mental health and/or substance use consultation and education to community partners, area agencies, professional providers, schools, law enforcement, and other stakeholders as appropriate and within the scope of the position.
Serve as a liaison among community agencies to support coordinated crisis response and continuity of care for clients. Communicates program needs, operational barriers, and recommendations to the Director of Emergency Services.
Oversee the management of the ICSS program and ensure compliance with associated regulatory, billing, and quality improvement components; particularly as it pertains to TCR, DMH, and DAIL regulations.
Provide concurrent case management services on an as-needed basis. These services may include coordination with other agencies and providers, collateral contact with family members or significant others, telephone support to clients or collaterals, treatment planning support, and assistance with referrals or service linkage.
Collaborate with the Battelle House Manager to support appropriate referrals and admissions to Battelle House. Provides clinical guidance to Crisis Support staff when needed and helps ensure communication between Emergency Services, Battelle House, and other involved providers.
Initiate and maintain accurate, timely, and thorough clinical and administrative documentation required to account for services provided to clients. This includes, but is not limited to, client assessments, crisis notes, case service notes, progress notes, schedules, time sheets, billing-related documentation, and assigned reports.
Monitor Emergency Clinician documentation to support timely completion, accuracy, and compliance with UCS policies and procedures, billing expectations, and Vermont Department of Mental Health requirements, including the Mental Health Provider Manual.
Provide documentation feedback, identifies training needs, and escalates concerns to the Chief Medical Officer when additional support, corrective action, or system-level intervention may be needed.